South Africa vs Namibia

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South Africa and Namibia are set to face off in an international friendly at FNB Stadium this Saturday.

Bafana Bafana's last match was a penalty shootout victory against Malawi in the COSAFA Cup third-placed playoff in July. The game ended in a goalless draw, but South Africa secured a 5-4 win in penalties.

In their previous encounters, South Africa has won seven times, while three matches ended in draws, and Namibia secured victory twice. Their most recent meeting in July resulted in a goalless draw during the COSAFA Cup group stage. South Africa has maintained an unbeaten streak in the last six head-to-head games, clinching victory in four of them. Notably, four of the last five matches produced fewer than three goals, and in five of the last seven games, both teams found the net. South Africa's win over Namibia broke a streak of nine consecutive matches with goals from both sides. Namibia has only won one of their last seven games.

Unlike many other top African teams, South Africa won't be participating in the AFCON qualifiers this month as they've already successfully concluded their qualification campaign. These matches against Namibia and DRC serve as preparation for the Nations Cup, after they fell short of expectations in the COSAFA Cup.

Namibia's most recent match was a goalless draw against Botswana in the COSAFA Cup group stage, where they were eventually eliminated.

This Saturday's game is one of two friendlies lined up for South Africa in this international window. They will also face DR Congo in another friendly three days later.

Hugo Broos' Bafana Bafana will face Namibia at Orlando Stadium on Saturday in a friendly clash. Since 1998, South Africa has been dominant in their meetings with Namibia. The match is set to kick off at 15:00.

The history between South Africa and Namibia dates back to 1998, post the 1994 democratic elections. They've played twelve times since, with Bafana consistently outperforming the Brave Warriors.

Namibia surprised South Africa in the 1998 Cosafa Cup with a 3-2 victory in Windhoek. Bafana took an early lead with Thabo Mooki, but Namibia's Stanley Goagoseb equalized soon after. Phil Masinga then put the visitors ahead before a last-minute free-kick by Bimbo Tjihero took the game to extra time. Berlin Auchumeb scored the decisive winner for Namibia.

Bafana got their revenge, winning 4-1 at the Stade Municipal with 20-year-old Benni McCarthy scoring all four goals. This game marked a turning point in McCarthy's career.

In their Afcon 2019 encounter, Bafana secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Namibia. The first half was uneventful, but Bafana emerged from half-time with renewed vigor, ultimately winning with Bongani Zungu's header.

Their latest meeting in July ended in a draw, with Namibia taking the lead before halftime and South Africa equalizing shortly after the restart.